Chapter 3992
Chapter 3992
Chapter 3992
Seeing that the academy was unwilling to contribute money and effort to support his plan, Su Zhixing's only solution was to personally take charge and prove its feasibility, thereby responding to all the doubts.
Therefore, Su Zhixing ultimately decided to travel to the Special Forces Division's jurisdiction in his own name aboard Li Yuande's merchant ship to participate in local education and training. He personally covered all the related expenses. If he achieved success in the future, he would promote Wansong Academy and explore the possibility of establishing a partnership between the academy and the Special Forces Division, at which point the academy would consider reimbursement.
To save money, Su Zhixing did not bring many attendants, only his personal servant Su Ji.
After all, Li Yuande said that teachers would have all their needs met, including food, clothing, lodging, and transportation, but their entourages and families wouldn't receive such treatment. Bringing even one more person would mean a considerable expense, and the travel cost from Hangzhou to Fubo Port alone was no small sum. Su Zhixing had to put in a lot of goodwill with Li Yuande to get Su Ji's boat fare waived.
However, Su Zhixing didn't keep the money he saved for himself. He added some more to buy stationery and books. Apparently, the destination was an endless desert, so these things had to be purchased in advance in China.
Primers like the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, the Thousand Character Classic, the Young Scholar's Jade Forest, and the Expanded Collection of Wise Sayings are naturally indispensable. The Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism, the Reflections on Things at Hand by Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty, and the Record of Teachings by Wang Yangming of the Ming Dynasty, must also be available, and they must be the versions with the best paper and printing quality on the market.
In addition, Su Zhixing also spent his own money to purchase several sets of mimeograph equipment, which could be used to print test papers or extracurricular reading materials for students, saving them the trouble of handwriting and copying.
These kinds of items, scattered here and there, weighed several hundred kilograms. Su Zhixing was originally worried that these accompanying goods would incur a considerable shipping fee and planned to ask Li Yuande for a discount, but Li Yuande voluntarily waived all the shipping fees.
It turned out that because Qian Tiandun attached great importance to education, he specially allocated two valuable cargo spaces in the goods that Li Yuande brought back to Fubo Port this time, for transporting a large number of textbooks and books purchased domestically, as well as various stationery and teaching aids.
Li Yuande wasn't short of shipping costs, so since Su Zhixing had purchased stationery and educational supplies, he decided to ship them along with the goods, essentially doing Su Zhixing a favor by offering him a bargain.
Li Yuande certainly knew Su Zhixing's identity. Although he could not be considered a great Confucian scholar, he was a well-known figure in Hangzhou's cultural and educational circles, and it would not be an exaggeration to call him an "educator".
Logically speaking, Li Yuande should have treated such a person, who was willing to take the initiative to become a teacher in Fubo Port, with more courtesy. However, Su Zhixing went to Fubo Port in his personal capacity and did not bring many of his academy colleagues with him. Since the other party was traveling in a low-key manner, Li Yuande could not take too much care of him, lest the other teachers traveling with him feel that the Special Forces Division was showing favoritism.
When Li Yuande saw Su Zhixing and his companion negotiating with the captain, he took the initiative to come over and greet them. After inquiring about the reason, he asked the captain to arrange for the cargo under Su Zhixing's name to be unloaded from the ship and loaded onto trucks first.
"Thank you for your trouble, Manager Li." Su Zhixing bowed in thanks.
Li Yuande waved his hand and said, "Mr. Su, you're too kind. If you need anything here, please feel free to ask, and the government will try its best to meet your needs. However, the living conditions here are indeed not comparable to those in Hangzhou, so please bear with us, Mr. Su!"
Su Zhixing's attire filled an entire carriage, leaving almost no space after the master and servant boarded. The Arab coachman gently cracked his whip, and the carriage slowly began to move forward.
The carriage's destination was right next to the local military camp, where several suites had been built long ago for the teachers who had not yet arrived, to serve as their accommodations during their time teaching in Fubo Port. The furniture, sanitary ware, and other daily necessities in the suites were mostly imported from China at great expense, striving to provide these teachers with better living conditions in a foreign land.
After getting off the bus, someone came forward to greet Su Zhixing and Su Ji. After verifying their identity cards, they led them to check their accommodation and handed over the room key.
The truckload of goods wasn't left unattended; soon a squad of soldiers arrived and unloaded the goods for Su Zhixing, carrying them into the house.
Although Su Zhixing had previously had contact with the local troops stationed in Phuket and Hambantota, this was the first time he had a formal interaction with them after arriving at Fubo Port. He did not expect that they would immediately take the initiative to do these rough and tidy jobs for him. He wanted to take Su Ji to lend a hand, but the leading officer persuaded him not to: "Mr. Su has come from afar for important cultural and educational matters. Let us do these rough jobs."
Although the room was furnished with bookshelves, it was clearly not enough to hold the large number of books that Su Zhixing had brought, so they had to be temporarily piled up in various places around the room.
In addition, because he had brought an attendant with him, an extra bed was needed temporarily, so the officer immediately ordered someone to bring one over from a nearby warehouse.
Although Su Zhixing was a scholar, he was not a pedantic bookworm. During his time at Wansong Academy, he frequently received and saw off guests, so he understood social etiquette. Seeing the soldiers working up a sweat while helping him move, he gave Su Ji a meaningful look.
Su Ji understood immediately. He took two banknotes, rolled them into a small roll, held them in his palm, walked over to the leading officer, and shook hands with him, saying, "Sir, you've worked hard. Please buy some tea for the brothers to quench their thirst."
The officer noticed what he was holding and quickly pushed it back: "No, no, if the higher-ups find out, I'll be punished!"
After some back and forth, the two decided not to hand over the banknotes. A group of soldiers helped them move their belongings, then immediately assembled and left.
Watching their retreating figures, Su Zhixing couldn't help but sigh, "Strict military discipline, truly worthy of being Haihan's elite army!"
The two returned to their room to tidy up their belongings. Not long after, the clerk who had shown them around their lodgings earlier came back. This time, he informed them of the time and place for lunch and asked if they would like to attend the welcome dinner.
Su Zhixing did not rush to agree, but instead asked who was invited to the welcome banquet and whether important figures such as Commander Qian and General Gaoqiao would attend.
The clerk chuckled, "General Qian and General Gaoqiao are currently away on official business and probably won't be attending today. However, the young marshal is in the camp, so he should be hosting tonight's banquet. As for the invitees, most of them are probably visiting Fubo Port for the first time!"
Su Zhixing breathed a sigh of relief and agreed after learning that it wasn't a private banquet for a small group of people. He had just arrived and hadn't accomplished anything yet; it would be undeserving of special treatment.